Page 75 of Ren: Warlord Brides
“I never thought of that. Why would—” She broke off her question as a grim-faced security officer approached their table.
“Emmarae LeBeaux?” he asked.
“Yes,” Emry said.
“We have a warrant to search your ship.”
Chapter 19
Ren
“I located the source of the call. Here.” Zalis brought up an image of a warehouse. The dilapidated condition suggested the building was abandoned. Holes in the roof gaped open.
“Can we get a better image through the roof?” Ren asked.
The image enlarged on the screen, but details blurred with the increased magnification.
“Land. We will investigate,” Ren said. He needed to see the property in person. Perhaps the traffickers left some clue to their destination.
“We are to wait for reinforcements,” Havik replied.
“We are to use our discretion,” he said. “You have terrible judgment, but I do not.”
Havik snorted. “If it is a trap? If a dozen males wait for us, ready to end our lives?”
“Do we have a count on life forms?” Ren asked Zalis.
“Less than a dozen,” the male answered.
“Easy enough for three Mahdfel warriors,” Ren said. “Will you land the shuttle, or shall I?”
Havik pushed by him, knocking his shoulders into Ren, grumbling about hot-headed warriors.
Perhaps he was overly eager to investigate. Ren wanted to prove himself to Emmarae and retrieving her sister had grown in importance. Gemma was more than a promise. If he returned Gemma to his mate, then he could atone for the hurt he caused his mate.
Rescue the sister. Win his mate’s affection. The two were inextricably tied together.
Impatient to complete the mission, Ren suited up in armor and checked the function of his weapons. All were operating within guidelines. He had performed a safety check twice before Havik finally put on his boots.
“Hurry. A female’s life depends on us,” Ren said.
“We do not know that the female is in the warehouse,” Zalis said, securing the fasteners on his armor. “All we know is that fewer than twelve individuals are inside the building.”
“An abandoned building,” Ren said.
“They could be repairing the structure.”
“No. Drone footage caught no hint of repairs.” Nothing appeared on screen to suggest anyone used the building.
After an eternity, they finally departed the shuttle. Night had fallen. The air held a chill.
Reconnaissance drones broadcast a live feed of the warehouse to their helmets. Inside, the life forms remained stationary. Conversation, if they spoke at all, was quiet enough to avoid being detected by the drone’s microphones.
“I do not enjoy going in blind,” Havik grumbled.
Neither did Ren, but waiting was not an option. “We are too close to hesitate. Remember your mate. She was pulled from a stasis chamber.”
“Yes.” Anger seethed in Havik’s voice. Long ago, Thalia had been abducted from Earth, sold at auction, and hastily sealed in a stasis chamber. She was lucky to have survived, as several of the chambers failed.
